Spanish Sojourn

Highlights

• Barcelona's boutiques, bars and beach
• Cultural and colourful Madrid
• Old city of Cordoba and jasmine-scented Seville
• Granada's Alhambra
• Choice of accommodation

Day 1 - Arrive Barcelona
A warm A&K welcome to the Catalan capital and a private transfer to your hotel.
The Arts Hotel, Club Room (Platinum) or The Arts Hotel, Deluxe Room (Gold)

Day 2 - Barcelona
Today you will encounter the masterpieces of Catalonia's most famous architect, Gaudi. Visit the Casa Mila with its wave-like façade, and the impressive but unfinished Sagrada Familia Basilica. Continue to the Parc Güell, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Gaudi's most colourful creations. As evening approaches, immerse yourself in some of Barcelona's lively new haunts with a private tapas tour around the city. Along with paella, tapas is Spain's major contribution to world food. Originally a free snack served in a small earthenware dish placed on top of a drink, today these small samplings of mouth-watering Spanish delicacies make up a popular culinary art form. Your tour will take you to some of Barcelona's trendiest new tapas bars (B).
The Arts Hotel, Club Room (Platinum) or The Arts Hotel, Deluxe Room (Gold)

Day 3 - Barcelona - Madrid
Travel by train to the Spanish capital and transfer to your hotel. Madrid is a vibrant and sophisticated city with much to see. Choose one of the following activities: a walking tour of the city, including a visit to the sumptuous Palacio Real, the king's official residence; or, for a more cultural emphasis, see some of the city's renowned museums and art collections, including the Prado Museum, primarily known for its collection of more than 8,600 paintings by Goya, Velazquez and El Greco, and the Reina Sofia Art Centre, where you will find Picasso's famous 'Guernica' (B).
The Adler, Junior Suite (Platinum) or The Adler, Standard Room (Gold)

Day 4 - Design Your Day Madrid
Another day to explore at your own pace. You may opt to travel to the fortified city of Toledo, which dates to Roman times. It was the capital of Visigothic Spain and is home to the famous 6th-century Cathedral. See the nearby church of Santo Tome, where El Greco's famous 'The Burial of Count of Orgaz' hangs, the 14th century El Transito Synagogue and the House and Museum of El Greco. Or, an excursion north-west of the city to the World Heritage Site of El Escorial may tempt you. Built by King Philip II of Spain in the 16th century, it was designed both as the burial place for his father Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, and a summer residence. Originally planned in the classic style, it shows strong influences of Spanish Baroque as well.

At El Escorial's heart is the church, with its cloistered chapter-rooms, and the royal palace, whose dimensions are remarkable. A rectangle 207m long and 161m wide, the grey-white granite pile contains 16 courtyards, 2673 windows, 1250 doors, 86 staircases and 88 fountains, and the corridors comprise a total length of 16 km. In the Royal Panteon de los Reyes lay the sarcophagi of most of the kings of Spain. Before returning to Madrid you will visit Avila, one of the most perfect walled cities in Europe (B).
The Adler, Junior Suite (Platinum) or The Adler, Standard Room (Gold)

Day 5 - Madrid - Cordoba - Granada
Journey by Club Class rail south to Cordoba, one of Spain's oldest cities. Upon arrival you are met at the station by your local English-speaking guide and private vehicle for a sightseeing tour of the city. Enjoy a walking tour through the flower-filled streets of the Jewish Quarter and visit the Mezquita, built between the 8th and 10th centuries and considered to be one of the most extraordinary buildings in all of Europe. In the 1520s, a Christian Baroque nave was constructed in the heart of the mosque, which fortunately is so large that the unity of the building was not destroyed by this resplendent but anomalous addition. After lunch at leisure, transfer by private vehicle through spectacular countryside to Granada (B).
Villa Oniria, Junior Suite (Platinum) or Villa Oniria, Standard Room (Gold)

Day 6 - Granada
A full-day private sightseeing tour in Granada. Visit the Alhambra, one of the great remnants of the Moslem occupation of Andalusia, founded in the 1240s. Once a great citadel containing a whole community of houses, schools barracks and gardens, the Alcazaba fortress and Royal Palace are all that remain today but they offer a complex of magical, exotic buildings. Take a stroll through the lovely gardens of the Generalife Palace. Afterwards a tour on foot to include the Royal Chapel (burial place of the Catholic Monarchs Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon) and Cathedral. You will then be transferred by private vehicle back to your hotel (B).
Villa Oniria, Junior Suite (Platinum) or Villa Oniria, Standard Room (Gold)

Day 7 - Granada - Ronda - Seville
Depart Granada this morning and transfer by private vehicle to Seville stopping en route in Ronda, situated on a rock high above the River Guadiaro. Ronda is famous for its position and views. It is built around a ravine 100m deep and 64m across, dividing the old Moorish town from the "new town" which came into being after the Christian Reconquest of 1485. Stroll the narrow streets and visit the Plaza de Toros (bullring), one of the oldest in Spain. This afternoon depart Ronda and continue on to Seville by private vehicle (B).
Gran Melia Colon, Premium (Platinum) or Gran Melia Colon, Deluxe Room (Gold)

Day 8 - Seville
A full-day sightseeing tour of Seville with your English-speaking guide and private vehicle. Visit the 15th Century Cathedral, one of the most breathtaking in all of Christendom, and see La Giralda, Seville's most famous monument. The Moorish tower was erected as a minaret in the 12th century. Visit the Alcazar, a magnificent 14th century Mudejar palace that is one of the oldest royal residences in Europe still in use. Take a walk through the Barrio de Santa Cruz, a maze of narrow streets, whitewashed houses, small squares and flower filled patios. Visit the Museum of Fine Arts, a former convent of the Merced, which today contains important religious works from the Middle Ages and famed above all for the magnificent paintings by Zurbarán, Ribera and Murillo. Continue to the Casa de Pilatos, home of one of Seville's great aristocratic families. The palace was modelled on Pilate's house in Jerusalem and blends Spanish Mudejar and Renaissance architecture (B).
Gran Melia Colon, Premium (Platinum) or Gran Melia Colon, Deluxe Room (Gold)

Day 9 - Design your Day Seville
There are two options today. A full day excursion to Jerez de la Frontera with your English-speaking guide and private vehicle. In Jerez, visit the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art for a dressage and jumping performance by skilled riders in 18th century riding costume (subject to schedules and ticket availability). Visit a Sherry Bodega and enjoy a tasting. Or journey outside Seville to the traditional Cortijo El Esparragal, a 7,400 acre estate devoted to breeding Andalusian horses and cattle. A private Flamenco lesson in English will take place before a simple lunch in the 19th century manor house. Then this evening attend a Flamenco Show in Seville (B).
Gran Melia Colon, Premium (Platinum) or Gran Melia Colon, Deluxe Room (Gold)

Day 10 - Depart Seville
Transfer to Seville airport where your journey ends (B).

Pricing
As a guide, this 9 day suggested journey in Spain will cost from $11,285 per person based on two adults sharing and is subject to availability.